


Don't Give Up, Vanille!

by CrossMirror



Category: Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Ending, Changing Tenses, Cockblocking, Comedy, F/F, Japanese Emoticons, Out of Character, POV First Person, Pre-Canon, Subjects of Death, Vanille is horny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-08-25 12:40:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16661313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossMirror/pseuds/CrossMirror
Summary: Vanille likes Fang, but nonsense keeps getting in the way. Let's root for her success.Do your best, Vanille!





	1. Chapter 1

Today's the day. I've gotten the chance of a lifetime. My dreams have come true. My binding rod skills have paid off.

I'm finally going on a mission with Fang!

Or we were randomly assigned.

But the details don't matter.

What's more important is that Fang, the best spearwoman, is my partner! I have to impress her, and part of a good impression comes from perfectly impeccable punctuality… which means I've got to meet Fang near the exit soon.

I scrambled for my bag, and bursted out the door. Someone stood in front of my house. My throat caught something and a different type of excitement filled my heart and guts.

The blue sari draping over tanned, well developed muscles… her hand going through her black, windswept hair… those cannons!

Gulp.  
“F-F-Fang, good morning!” my voice almost cracked.

Fang turned, and graced me and all of Gran Pulse. She said, “Good morning, Vanille. It's our turn to gather supplies today. Shall we go?”

“Of course!” My heart pounded, and my hands started getting shaky.

Don't be a weirdo! Act normal!

I took a deep breath, and shuddered out all my weirdness.

Fang went right to business.

“Where do we go?” Fang asked.

“I was told to go to the Archylte Steppe.”

Fang frowned, “Err...that’s far. I normally go several kilometers from Oerba.”

“We have to go further now. The other assigned groups took too many of the supplies. We have wait a year or so for them to replenish.”

She slumped, “We have to take chocobos, don't we?”

(ㆁ//ω//ㆁ*)ゞ✧ “Don't worry. It'll be fun.”

Fang returned the gesture. “✧ヽ(-_-;) Choco-smells are not fun.”

* * *

I love feeling the Choco-speeds through the Archylte Steppe, the wind blowing through my hair and against my face, and the soft Choco-fluffs between my thighs…

Ahem.

“Is something wrong?” Fang said.

“No, nothing! Just some Choco-thoughts, is all!”

Fang… cares!

Jststdifyktdtstsirs!!

Hold it together. We're almost there!

“Vanille, Gorgonopsids stand in our way.”

I looked up and of course they want to tango with our supplies.

“You wanna move it or kill it,” Fang asked.

“There’s no need for unnecessary violence. Does the guard not greet the prisoner? Do predator and prey not drink water side by side? As long as we don't anger them-”

A Rangda dance crew approached the supply area. The Gorgonopsids took it as a dance challenge and mauled, mangled, mashed the Rangdas.

Oh…  
“I forgot only the strongest survive. Let's kill them.”

Fang superbly stepped off her Chocobo, and flourished her spear. “What's the plan, Vanille?”

Wait. “I-I'm the leader?”

Fang nodded, while eyeing the Gorgonopsids.

Oh man! (@_@) Must impress Fang with leadership skills.

I hopped off my Chocobo and brought out my rod.

“You'll challenge them and be defensive, while I hold them down with the rod. Then, kill them when you've got the chance.”

“Got it.”

* * *

“That's all the supplies we need,” Fang said, as she secured the supplies on her Chocobo.  
“What do you want to do with the Gorgonopsids?” She pointed at the four dead animals.

“We should take it back; it's meat. I think we should put the Gorgonopsids on one Chocobo, and then, we could share… a Chocobo together.”

“That's a good idea, I don't want to sit next to corpses,” Fang said.

* * *

The Gorgonopsids agitated the Chocobos, and wouldn't calm down unless one of us sat with them. So instead of riding with Fang, I've got my two dead friends.

This blows.

“I know!” said Fang, “I'm gonna have Choco-smells and death-smells. Ohmigod, they're touching me. Nooo!”

The ride back wasn't all bad. Getting fresh air, enjoying the view of nature on the way back, especially the view of Fang’s perfectly perfect legs. She likes to side-saddle, you know?

* * *

“We did a great job; we should do this more often,” said Fang.

“I-I agree!”

“Great! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to shower. See you later!”

“Bye!”

I can't believe Fang wants to work with me again! We’re a gonna be team!

I have be a good partner…  
I'm gonna be a good partner!

* * *

Fuck yeah, I'm the best in all the land. I can use magic. I found out this evening, after I helped Fang with a deep cut in her face. Her scrapes disappeared after I touched it.

She wanted to talk to me in private about it.

I want to talk to her in private too. I've been waiting for this opportunity, the opportunity to ask her out. But, I'm prepared for rejection.

Rejection doesn't mean the end of the world. It just means bad timing or someone doesn't need you right now. It's not about me. It's not about me! (｡>﹏<｡)

Now that the pep talk is out of the way, time to practice.

Fang~ I feel we've gotten really close this past year, and I really enjoyed our time together. You're my best friend and we make a great team. I'm happy when I'm with you and I think you're a wonderful person! Would you like to go out with me?

* * *

"Now’s not a good time,” said Fang.

(˘･д･˘) … ahsh… djgks… hrnd...

Fang’s face became grim and serious.  
“We've become L'Cie,” she said.

Eh?

Fang showed the brand on her arm. Then she flipped my skirt, revealing A BRAND ON MY THIGH?!

EHHHHHHH!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time, Vanille asked Fang out, but got rejected due to becoming L'Cie.

“You didn't get a vision this morning of Ragnarok crashing into Cocoon where everyone dies a fiery death?” Fang said.

“What kind of focus is that?!”

“I guess we're supposed to summon Ragnarok. We have to go soon if we don't want to become Cie'th.”

Fang put her arm around me, and looked at me. She said, “Let’s go on a walk, let it sink in.”

I'm walking…

Ruminating.  
Contemplating.  
Vegetating.  
Digesting.

It's not working! The walks around the neighborhood should be enjoyable and energizing, but it's awkward and embarrassing. Rejection sucks, and to top it off, I'm a L'Cie.

But Fang isn't acting any different. She's strong physically and mentally. I wish I was her at times like these.

“Thinking about L'Cie things?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Me too. I'm trying not to think about it, but I had hoped for us to be older when we’d become L’Cie.”

??

Fang said, “Like, I thought we'd be L’Cie at thirty or forty-something years old.”

“You talk like we’ve always been destined to be branded.”

“We are.”

“How do you know?”

“Everyone in Oerba knows,” she looked concerned.

“Really? Nobody’s told me, and I haven't heard anything from the seeress either.”

Fang looked at me, put both hands on my shoulder, and slowly said, “Vanille, the seeress from 400 years ago has known and announced that a Dia and a Yun from Oerba would be chosen as L’Cie for Ragnarok. This message has been passed down in Oerba for many generations. Our fate is a matter of fact.”

“400 years!”

“I can't speak for the rest of Oerba, but I thought you knew. I saw you training every day. What did you train so hard for, if not for our destiny?”

I grumbled, “I was trying impress you. I thought if I became as strong as you, and learned skills to complement you, maybe we would partner up and then become close friends, girlfriends, then get married.” (;>//__//<;)

“I see,” Fang said in awe. Her face relaxed and she swept hair out of her face. “I didn't know you liked me for so long. I'm really happy you worked hard for me, and I'm sorry I've ruined your efforts. Please don't take it personally, but I never saw the point of dating if I was fated to be L'Cie.”

(T﹏T)

“I understand. We're still good friends?”

“Of course. And we're still the best team.”

* * *

And beer is a good drink -hic. “I guess I'm just a puppet. My mortal fate played by the strings and whims of Fal'Cie.”

“No, you're not. We're saving others the trouble of becoming L'Cie.” Fang pat my shoulder. “You should enjoy yourself before we start our focus.”

“Then, I have to eat pussy tonight.”

“ ( •̀//ㅁ//•́;) What,” Fang stammered.

Yikes… She's never heard me talk this way.

* * *

I didn't get any last night. According to Fang, I just slept. One night wasted, and one night closer to Cie'th City, Crystal City, or whatever.

“Why is Cocoon so far?” Fang whined, her stomps slow and heavy.

Our chocobos didn't want to leave the Archylte Steppes, leaving us to walk the rest of the way. We're still in Vallis Media, even though we left at dawn.

We'll turn to Cie'th at this rate. Damn it! I don't want to turn into a monster, or crystal. But I don't want to end it either.

I don't know what to do!

My heart pounded fast, and it's getting hard to breathe. I just want to burst out of my body, and run.

“Vanille, take some deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.”

“I need a hug. Please hold me.” I held her tight. I want to stay like this for a while. I buried my face in Fang. She didn't seem to mind.

I said, “How did you deal with this, knowing your fate for so long?”

“At first, I enjoyed myself and indulged in everything…”

“Did it work?”

Fang shook her head. “Only for a little bit. I was only ignoring the inevitable. So, instead I tried to live meaningfully.”

“What do you mean?”

“I stopped doing things that don't matter. Like, some people care about family time, but they work too much. I think food matters. Imagine if I ate fried chicken everyday; I can't try new foods if I only eat that.  
Or people give into impulses too soon, and can't appreciate other enjoyments. Like sex, if I had sex too soon, I wouldn't appreciate the pleasure of feeling the miracle of life, because sex is too addicting.”

“I think I understand, but… you love fried chicken.”

“(♡﹃♡) Ohmigod, yes I do! Ahem- but my point is indulgence isn't what life's about. It's about restraint, appreciating other things in the world, and then indulging in moderation. Becoming L'Cie or dying from old age is the same. What matters is how one spent their life. Did they spend their time meaningfully?”

“Thank you, Fang. I should find some meaningful activities then.”

Fang grinned, “Of course. Yes, Cultivate yourself! There's so much satisfaction.”

“So, how long has it been since you last ate fried chicken?”

“Years. Do you mind eating it tonight?”

“Nope.”

* * *

Fang and I called it a night and set up our tent.

Our brands have advanced again.

I don't know how she can sleep so well.

I haven't had a vision of our focus, and we still don't know how to summon Ragnarok.

I've accepted our fate, but I still don't like it.

 

When animals approach death, their instinct dictates that they seclude themselves, perhaps saving others the sight of dying. Other animals may seek attention, clinging on to life in this world. Sometimes, animals take in the view of the world, and sleep all day, waiting for death to take them. If they wake up, they do it all over again.

But I'm not any of these animals. I'm the kind of animal that fucks themselves into oblivion.

And masturbation doesn't help. It doesn't make impending doom go away. Everytime I finish, my heart races again, and the compulsion takes over.

Fuck restraint, fuck cultivating myself, and fuck feeling the miracle of life.

The miracle of life is in Fang, and I need to eat some Fang pussy right now.

“Vanille?” Fang woke up. I had shook her arm the whole time.

“I'm sorry.”

Fang let me rest in her arms. “Your heart is beating like crazy. What's going on?”

“I just have lots of thoughts on my mind. Can I ask you for a favor? You don't have to say yes.”

“Sure.”

“Could I eat your - ”

Fang covered my mouth. “Shh... hold that thought. I hear something outside.”

NO.

Fang got up, took her spear, “I'm going to check things out,” and left.

NO!

Where is my binding rod! I'm gonna kill the son of a -

(;;O Д O)

Holy motherfucking shit.

It's a King Behemoth.

Our crystarium isn't developed enough, and there's no retry button!

“Fang…”

Fang didn't move or say anything.

We're gonna die here…

I won't let us get taken out like this. I'm her partner! I'm the leader!

“Fang, here's the paradigm deck!”

* * *

We survived! Hurray! I can finally rest.

Fang caught me as I lied down.

“Vanille, stay with me. Can you heal yourself? Wait, never mind, I'll give you first aid.”

Huh?

Fang took out clean cloths from her bag and-

OH, THAT HURTS. She pressed against my bloody guts.

I grabbed her wrists. “Wait, Fang!”

“I have to stop the bleeding.”

I reached for Fang's face. “I don’t need first aid. I need… CPR.”

“(._.) I'm not CPR certified.”

…  
…

(x__x)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time, Vanille found out that her and Fang's fate as L'Cie had been set in stone. She asked Fang how to deal with such news. Fang advocated for a meaningful life through restraint. Vanille, spurred by anxiety-induced arousal, couldn't follow Fang's advice. Vanille tried to get laid, but a King Behemoth interrupted. She and Fang defeated the King Behemoth, but not unscathed. Critically injured, Vanille asked Fang to perform CPR, but Fang didn't know how. Vanille knocked out.

_Fang nodded at me, and held my hands._

_We floated in a strange land. The infrastructure had recently shut down and fell apart. Crystal dust surrounded and engulfed us until we became one mass:_

_Ragnarok._

_Ragnarok bursted out of a planet -- it's Cocoon -- and pierced the now falling planet with crystal._

 

So to destroy Cocoon, we don't summon Ragnarok; we become him.

“Fang, wake up. I know how to fulfill--”

A bandage on Fang's arm? I don't remember her getting hurt there. No matter. Nothing like some Cure won't help.

Please excuse me. I'm going to check it out.

…

It's worse than I thought. Arrows protruded from her brand and the eye almost fully opened. Fang will shortly become Cie'th.

My brand isn't as developed, so that means Fang must've had something stuck in her mind. If I really liked Fang, I would’ve noticed something, but instead, I've tried to get some.

How selfish of me. And she had helped me with my problems too.

Well, I'm going to change! I'll pay attention to Fang, and make her last days happy.

“You're okay!” Fang got up and hugged me.

“But are you?” I pointed at her brand.

“Oh, that…” She looked down.

“What's on your mind? Maybe talking about it will make you feel better?”

Fang hesitated, “My life is just a big joke. I don't know what to feel. Should I laugh, cry, both?”

“Where did this come from? You talked about meaningful activities and cultivating yourself before. When did your ideas change?”

Fang took a deep breath, “So, I was around six or seven when the mayor told me our fate. I had an existential crisis, et cetera, et cetera, and became a recluse. Then, I saw you all happy and cheery, and I thought, 'Oh, Vanille's doing well for someone who's gonna be L'Cie. Perhaps, I'll follow her example.’ I read some books on fulfillment and happiness, and I'm great. But you actually knew nothing. That's the punchline that changed my ideas.”

“I'm sorry.”

Fang shook her head. “It's okay, you didn't know, I didn't know. Everything is water under the bridge. But I do feel better now that I talked. Thank you.”

* * *

 “Are you scared?” Fang said.

“No, just nervous. How about you?”

“I’m fine. Don't be nervous. Everything will work out.”

“I know. I'm ready for tomorrow.”

Fang and I will become Ragnarok. Even though everything's coming to an end, I'm okay.

For her last request, she wanted to us to switch weapons and hunt something, so we took it out on a Goblin.

The wires didn't go the way she wanted to, so she held the Goblin in a chokehold. Then, I pierced it, punctured it, impaled it. I have to admit, I had fun.

“Do you have any last requests?” she said.

“I can't think of any right now.”

“Are you sure? I remember you asking for a favor.”

“Oh, that? I-It’s not important anymore. I wasn't in my right mind anyways.”

Fang stepped closer. “I think you wanted to eat something? (ಠ‿ಠ)”

(ʘ言ʘ)

* * *

 Ohmigod-it's-happening-for-realsies! I'm about to wafhsduybkf!

Rahkarhkatafu.

Dlgjkfhayis.

“Vanille, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just tasting THE MIRACLE OF LIFE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!”

* * *

 A thunderous explosion had blown.

“Fang?”

I uncovered her side.

Pillows?!

I went outside. It's getting close to dawn. No sign of Fang. The smell of burning vegetation permeated the air. The sky had an orange-gray glow. This explosion and fire must’ve been big.

It came from Cocoon. Part of Cocoon’s shell fell to Gran Pulse, causing more commotion. A figure fell to the ground too.

No way.

I followed the opposite direction of the animals. None tried to attack me, they were too busy saving themselves.

Fang’s on top of rubble.

Cure!

She struggled to speak, “Don’t bother. I'll be gone soon.”

I propped her up, “Fang, you idiot! What were you thinking? We were supposed to do this together!”

“I know, but this whole L'Cie business isn't fair to you. I'm already screwed, so I thought if I could fulfill the focus myself, you would live happily. I was wrong though,” Fang waved her hand in circles, indicating the fiery scene around her, ”This isn't what I intended at all. I'm sorry I failed.”

I held her tight.

“You didn't fail! You said everything will work out, and it will. We'll try again. I won't let you become Cie'th.”

Fang looked at her brand.

“Don't worry about me. My time is up anyway. I'm glad I met you. I had a great time having you as my partner. Seeing you grow strong made me happy. I'm sorry we couldn't date, or do anything you wanted. If things were different…”

“No, don't be sorry. I-I love you either way, no matter what.

“Heh, I love you too,” she said, placing her hand in mine.

I grasped her weak hand and interlaced our fingers.

(-`д´-) Running off by yourself, thinking I'd be happy without you! As if! Fate, you better not separate us, or I'm gonna unleash real chaos! You'll be sorry then!

Eh? Crystal particles surrounded us. This means…

“Fang, you didn't fail! You completed the focus! I told you everything would work out!”

“Huh, I guess so. But you'll be crystal too…”

“I wouldn't have it any other way. You know, crystallized L'Cie dream for eternity. We can dream together!”

Fang relaxed, her face relieved. “That sounds nice.”

* * *

 (･口･) The air rushed into my lungs, making me cough up a storm. It's so bright. The floor is so hard and cold.

What happened? Last thing I remembered was Fang crashing into Cocoon, and hehe, we said 'I love you’ to each other.

Oh! Where is she?

A groan came from behind. Fang looked around in her daze.

I crawled to her, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, everything's just a bit fuzzy.” Fang took deep breaths to get situated.

(∩╹□╹∩) “Your brand; it's white!”

Fang looked at it, then pushed my skirt up. “Your’s is still the same.”

Ahn~, her hand is so close. Control yourself, Vanille. You can get some anytime, but not here.

“I-I see. We can worry about that later. Let's just get out of here.”

I held Fang's hand, and helped her up.

Oh! I thought of a fun idea. “Can I hold your hand while we look around?”

Fang shrugged, “Sure?”

We wandered around the building, and it turned out to be a temple. The exit’s whereabouts is still a mystery.

“Vanille, can we stop?” Fang looked worried.

“What's wrong?”

“I’ve been thinking. We're supposed to be crystallized, but we're not. I think we failed our focus. Do you remember if we succeeded?”

I put my hands on her shoulder for reassurance. “I think we did. I'm sure we did. How much do you remember?”

Fang closed her eyes and rubbed her face with her hand. “ The last thing I remembered.... You had helped me with my last request. Everything after that is unclear and it's frustrating me.”

Fuck. Me. She doesn't remember the ending.

“I see. Don't push yourself. It'll come back eventually. We can jog your memory back. N-no problem.”

“Thank you, Vanille. I'm happy I can count on you. You're the best partner.”

“Of course. I'm. The. Party. Leader. Please excuse me for a moment.”

ヽ(_ _ヽ)彡

O|￣|_

(T▽T)

**Final Fantasy XIII begins.**


End file.
